6

Chapter 6: Monday Night

-Free Jaffa Camp-

That night the entire camp gathered for Drey'auc's funeral pyre. All the preparations had been made in daylight. Now the entire camp was there to stand vigil as the light of the fire escorted her calmah to her next life.

Teal'c looked resplendent in his Jaffa robes of mourning. He broke the circle around the pyre with the torch held high. One step away from the pyre he raised his torch.

Teal'c voice was strong and steady in the night as he spoke the ritual prayer to send his wife's calmah to her next life, "Shel mek. Shel assah." He brought to torch down and started the fire on the cloth trim surrounding her body. Then he thrust the torch into the center of the pile where the blaze quickly lit.

Teal'c stood back. He gently closed his eyes and saw his wife as she lived. She was laughing and dancing in the sunlight. Happy. Her laughter filled his mind and he felt her presence and peace filled him. Then one word… Rya'c…

Teal'c's eyes snapped open. His wife wanted him to make peace with Rya'c. He needed to make peace with his son. They were family. They had love to hold them together.

The funeral pyre was blazed high now. All the faces standing vigil were lit. Teal'c scanned the faces he could see. He finally spotted his son as he stood at the foot of the pyre. He looked so lost in his own Jaffa robes of mourning. Teal'c took a deep breath and approached him.

Rya'c noted his approach and quickly turned and fled. Teal'c was not so easily put off. He would follow his son.

Bra'tac stepped in front of his path, and stopped his forward progress. "Let him mourn," Bra'tac stated calmly.

Teal'c sighed, "He has grown to hate me."

"He does not," Bra'tac replied. "Nor does he truly believe our cause is futile. Drey'auc would not allow it."

Teal'c was confused, "Why does he speak as he does?" Teal'c was used to people who spoke their minds truly. The ones who lied were easy to spot and seldom believed their own lies.

"Self-doubt," Bra'tac responded. "Since the day Apophis brainwashed him, he has believed his own mind is weak."

Teal'c quailed. Then I have failed him even more than I thought. "It is not true," Teal'c replied.

"You were no different at his age," Bra'tac said. They both returned to pay vigil to Drey'auc. "After the death of your father at the hands of Cronus, fear almost consumed you. Like Rya'c, it was desire for vengeance that gave you strength."

His desire for vengeance? Teal'c sighed, "Rya'c misplaces his blame."

"He directs his malice towards you because he believes you doubt him as much as he doubts himself," Bra'tac stated solemnly.

Teal'c was stunned, "Why would he believe such a thing?"

"Because you are his father, and you have not told him otherwise," Bra'tac said slowly.

Teal'c considered those words carefully. What had he told Rya'c? Had he told him how much he loved him? How much he had loved his mother? How his son and his wife were the only reason he had the strength of character to continue this fight?

Had he told his son how proud he was that he was able to overcome the brainwashing? How strong that made him? Had he told his son how proud he was of the progress he had made as a warrior? A fighter?

Had he told him how well he had cared for his mother? Right up until the end? How he had honored her wishes even as he didn't believe in them? How strong that made him?

Instead, Teal'c could only think of all the silence that had spoken for him.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

-Free Jaffa Camp-

Teal'c spent the rest of the vigil by the funeral pyre contemplating how he would tell Rya'c of his strength. He knew enough of Jaffa warrior training under Bra'tac to know that Rya'c would hear about how strong his father was. But he would not hear about the times his father had been weak. His son would need to know.

His father was not perfect. His father was flawed. His father had failed at times. His father's strength came from trying to correct those mistakes.

Teal'c nodded to himself. It was time. The vigil was over. The other Jaffa had returned to their homes. Teal'c began to search for Rya'c. He found him sitting at the base of the Stargate watching the dying flames of the funeral pyre.

It was time.

Teal'c walked over to his son and sat down next to him. He counted it as an achievement that Rya'c did not immediately leave. Instead, Teal'c scooted a little closer.

"Not so long ago, I was captured in battle and Apophis took control of my mind," Teal'c started to tell his son. He wanted the boy to know that he was not the only one to lose control of his mind.

"He made me believe that I was once again his loyal First Prime. And I turned on my friends who trusted me," Teal'c said with emotion in his voice. He wanted his son to know that not only did Apophis take his mind, but make him betray his friends.

"Were it not for Bra'tac and the Rite of M'al Sharran, I would have died believing that Apophis was my god," Teal'c said calmly. Rya'c knew how much his father despised Apophis. To die praising him would ruin his father. The boy knew this.

"Whether, you believe in me or what I have chosen to do, does not change the fact that I have never doubted your heart, Rya'c," Teal'c said with feeling.

"You may never win back my trust, my son, for you have never lost it," Teal'c said this last with emotion cracking his voice. He was not a man to show his emotions this openly. But for his son, he would do anything.

Rya'c heard the emotion in his voice and knew the reassurance that he needed was there. He had seen his father take a beating because he blamed himself. Rya'c did not have as much contact with his father as he would have liked. But what he did supported everything that Master Bra'tac had said. And now his father had admitted to falling for the same weakness that Rya'c blamed on himself.

Weakness that he overcame.

The Rite of M'al Sharran took the Jaffa to near death. Master Bra'tac told him that the strong could survive the Rite. Now, Rya'c knows of at least ONE Jaffa who has survived. The one Jaffa who trusts him. The one Jaffa who loves him.

Rya'c tightly hugged his father.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

-Naquadah Stash Planet/Al'kesh-

After a few quick stops, one to Earth to return Jacob and another to the Naquadah storage planet to drop off the spare Stargate, Jack and Shade parked the Al'kesh in orbit and started to get to work on the portable DHD.

Sam had initially started by helping them and eventually wandered off to work on her own projects. They had taken a break for food and sleep. But otherwise were focused on the one task.

I need a break, Shade said sleepily in his head.

But I'm not tired, Jack complained.

Not my problem, Shade snarked. Find something else to entertain yourself.

Fine, Jack replied. Wonder what Sam is doing?

Probably sleeping, which I plan on doing now. So SHUT UP, Shade snapped at him.

Jack got up and stretched. Then wandered through the Al'kesh looking for Sam. He found her kneeling on the floor of her tinkering work space. Her ass was waving in the air as she worked. He immediately got hard.

Jack was so mesmerized watching her wiggling ass, that when she finally dropped her tools and scooted back, Jack was brought back to the present. He immediately crawled down to her level and climbed behind her. He wrapped his body around her. His hard cock was nestled in the crack of her ass, as his arms enveloped her and his head started nibbling at the side of her neck. As he kissed her neck, he let his hands wander up and down her sides.

"Jack?" Sam asked as she arched back into him rubbing her ass against his hard on.

His hands finally found the edges of her shirt and moved under it. "Yes, dear," Jack replied between kisses on her neck.

"Uh… what cha' doin'?" Sam asked finding it hard to breathe. Her own hands had moved to hold his hips in place so she could rub against them.

"Takin' a break," Jack replied. One of Jack's hands had found the front of her pants and was working on getting it open. Her hands had abandoned his hips to help him with her pants.

"Oh," Sam panted. Then she stood up and whirled on him. "Bed. Now."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack replied with a smirk climbed to his feet.

They made it to the hallway outside their bedroom when they couldn't resist each other anymore. They wrapped themselves around each other kissing and groping. Each time they broke for air, they would make a few more steps towards their destination. More clothing was shed.

They fell to the floor while removing their pants off about 10-feet from the bed. They never made it off the floor. They rolled around wrapped in each other. Both of them were naked and trying to feel more skin. Finally, Sam let go of Jack long enough to let him rise above her. She wrapped her legs around him. Jack pushed into her and moaned. Then he continued to plunge into her depths.

Sam wrapped her arms around him again and drew him down as he thrust into her. She wanted him harder and faster. She encouraged him to move more. She shuddered around him as she came and cried out his name. Jack finished in her as he felt her clench him and then he sagged into her warmth with her arms still wrapped around him.

They were both still breathing heavy.

"We should get to the bed," Jack mumbled into Sam's neck. He was surprised that he could put together that thought.

"I guess," Sam said. That was where they were originally going, right? "Can you move?"

"Not yet. Give me a minute," Jack said. True to his word, he tried to move. It was more of a graceless flop to one side. But he moved.

Sam giggled. She slowly stood up, "Come one. Bed is softer and warmer."

"Okay," Jack said sleepily. He levered himself up with Sam's assistance. They both stumbled the last 10 feet and crawled under the covers. "Much better," Jack mumbled as he curled up next to Sam.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG

-Earth/SGC-

"Off-world Incoming Traveler," Walter announced over the PA.

General Hammond came down the stairs from the conference room with a concerned look on his face. The Stargate continued to spin. "Close the iris. What's our status, Walter?"

"Teal'c is the only one off-world right now, Sir. All teams have returned home as of this morning," Walter reported briskly. "We just heard from the Asgard and we just received that present from Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter."

"Support teams into positions," General Hammond announced on the PA.

The few military positions in the Gate Room were augmented by additional weapons teams. All the military personnel stood armed and ready for hostile invaders to try and breach the iris. The Wormhole engaged to life.

"Defense teams, standby," Walter announced to the Gate Room as they waited to see what would happen next.

"Any code yet?" General Hammond asked.

"No, Sir," Walter replied.

Several thuds are heard hitting the iris. The thuds continue for several minutes.

"I don't think it's a friendly, Sir," Walter commented to General Hammond.

"Not likely, son," General Hammond replied.

After several minutes of constant thuds against the iris, an image started to appear. It was different than the one Sokar used a few years ago, but similar in composition. General Hammond was glad that he had put the safety measure in place after the last attack on the iris by Sokar.

Then he chuckled. The goa'uld were starting to recycle their strategies. They kept trying the same things over and over again. How did they stay in power for so long?

A disembodied voice rang out from the wormhole, "Humans of the Tau'ri. I am Anubis. Your final day approaches. There will be no mercy. You will bow to my awesome power. There is nothing that can stop the destruction I bring upon you. Prepare to meet your doom." The image faded from view.

"Like we haven't heard that before," General Hammond said to Walter.

Walter grinned, "I know, Sir. The iris is starting to heat up."

General Hammond sighed, "Execute the Aegis Protocol."

"Yes, Sir. Executing Aegis Protocol," Walter repeated. He immediately moved over from his keyboard to a secondary system and started typing.

"Clear the Gate Room. All personnel are to evacuate the Gate Room," General Hammond announced. He kept a watchful eye on all the personnel in the room until everyone was out of the room. "Seal the Gate Room doors," he ordered.

Walter finished typing and as soon as the blast doors closed, a steam of liquid nitrogen started spraying on the iris from the sides of the room. Once the spray had started, the ceiling started to retract above the Stargate. It slowly rose to the surface. Finally, the Control Room blast shield doors came down.

"Aegis Protocol complete, Sir," Walter announced as he retook his station. "32-minutes left until we can try Major Carter's Accelerated Dialing Program."

"Good. You have my permission to dial Abydos the split-second you are able to," General Hammond told Walter.

"Thank you, Sir," Walter replied, never doubting the need for a second. He started to prep the dialing computer for dialing out on the ADP. After that it was just waiting.

General Hammond was able to stand the silence for a few minutes, "How long can they maintain this?"

"I don't know, Sir. Sokar was able to dial us twice before we could dial out. Anubis may have a new trick to two. We know the iris can hold for two wormholes and we have a better plan in place this time," Walter replied.

"Well, I hate to put a negative spin on things, but I'd better get on the phone with the president. You have the address that this attack is originating from?" General Hammond asked.

"Yes, Sir," Walter said as he pointed about to where the return address was listed.

"Good," General Hammond said. "Our Asgard allies wanted us to tell them when Anubis attacked Earth again. We can tell them he is not only attacking, but from where."

"And Colonel O'Neill, Sir?" Walter asked.

"Let them know as well. The Colonel is our Ambassador to the Asgard after all," General Hammond said with a smile.

SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG-SG